Track Was Still Open When 2 Workers Killed

Two workers killed on a bridge in Philadelphia when they were struck by a Port Authority Transit Corporation train last month were on a track before it was scheduled to be closed, federal investigators have determined.

The National Transportation Safety Board said the construction workers were on Track 2 of the Ben Franklin Bridge before being struck at 9:21 p.m. on Oct. 14.

The NTSB preliminary report said the PATCO train was traveling westbound at 33 miles per hour before the incident, but the operator had applied the emergency brakes just before the two men were struck. The workers were employed by JPC Group.

Earlier reports had indicated the track had already been closed at the time the incident occurred.

The NTSB cautioned that its findings are preliminary and the investigation is continuing. The bridge crosses the Delaware River between Philadelphia and Camden, New Jersey.

Tags: National Transportation Safety Board, NTSB preliminary reports, Philadelphia, Port Authority Transit Corporation